Volkswagen up! – 2012 World Car of the Year

The nifty little Volkswagen up! has won many fans since it was first announced and it can now add the judges from the World Car Awards after it was named the 2012 World Car of the Year. Volkswagen can proudly place the trophy alongside the WCOTY titles handed to the Golf VI (2009) and Polo V (2010).

There was stiff competition for the up! as well, having to impress the judges ahead of the other two finalists, the F30 BMW 3 Series and 991 Porsche 911. At least the Porsche gained some consolation for being named the 2012 World Performance Car.

Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chariman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, was unsurprisingly chuffed, “This award shows once again that in the up! our designers and engineers have created a vehicle that has been thought through in minute detail. A vehicle that sets standards in its class for efficient use of space, safety, motoring fun and environmental compatibility.”

For their part, the judges didn’t hold back in their praise, “The little Volkswagen up! has altered what we have come to expect from the citycar segment. Of note are the responsive steering, sophisticated suspension setup, new efficient engines and the quality of materials and finish. Never before in this economy segment have owners felt so premium. Look for every builder of citycars to up its game just to compete with the new VW.”

The up! is ‘World Car of the Year 2012’

• International jury gives sought after award to Volkswagen

Wolfsburg / New York, 05 April 2012 – Latest triumph for Volkswagen: the up! is ‘World Car of the Year 2012’! This much sought after title was awarded today at the New York International Auto Show.

The jury, consisting of 66 top journalists from 25 countries, voted by a majority to name the up! ‘World Car of the Year 2012’. In the end, Volkswagen’s city car beat off two other finalists to secure the internationally recognised prize.

“This award shows once again that in the up! our designers and engineers have created a vehicle that has been thought through in minute detail. A vehicle that sets standards in its class for efficient use of space, safety, motoring fun and environmental compatibility,” remarks Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chariman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG.

Within just a short time of its launch last December, the up! was, for example, already topping the statistics for new vehicle registrations in Germany. At around the same time, consumer protection organisation Euro NCAP awarded the up! a top score of five points and also gave it an ‘Advanced Award’ for its city emergency braking system. The highly regarded iF Design Institute in turn gave Volkswagen’s smallest car the ‘iF design award in Gold’. Nor does it end there! The up! has to date also won the ‘2011 Goldene Lenkrad’ (Golden Steering Wheel) in Germany and three awards from British motoring magazine ‘What Car?’: ‘Car of the Year’, ‘City Car 2012’ and the ‘Safety Award’.

On a minimal footprint (3.54 m long) the up! provides maximum space for four people, plus extremely efficient drive technologies. The up! thus sees the debut of a new generation of three-cylinder engines. Petrol fuelled, they deliver 44 kW / 60 PS and 55 kW / 75 PS and are also available with the highly environmentally friendly BlueMotion Technology.